Senior Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
540735666
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Charlottesville, VA, USA
Phone
4349747756
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,484,111
Expenses
$3,133,843
Assets
$20,228,731
Liabilities
$5,884,179

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JULIE CHRISTOPHER (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MELANIE BENJAMIN (EXECUTIVE DI): $153,956 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Since 1960, senior center, inc. (doing business as "the center") has worked to enrich the lives of older adults in our community by providing programs and opportunities that support healthy aging through social engagement, physical activity, volunteerism, creative expression, and lifelong learning. The cdc recognizes the aging of america's population as a significant public health challenge for the 21st century. Improving quality of life and promoting independence among older adults has become a national priority. Research shows that older adults who participate in programs like those offered by the center experience better health outcomes, are more likely to age in place successfully, and may incur lower healthcare costs. In fy25 (april 1, 2024-march 31, 2025), the center delivered 10,961 classes, events, programs, and trips-each one aimed at helping older adults maintain resilience, wellness, and independence.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lifelong learning/intellectual wellness - continuing to learn and grow is an essential part of healthy aging. Intellectual engagement helps enhance memory, build coping strategies, and may slow cognitive decline. This year, the center hosted 1,658 hours of lifelong learning programming. Classes ranged from practical workshops like social security 101 to enriching community discussions like cinema discussion group. These offerings encourage curiosity, strengthen thinking skills, and foster a sense of belonging and shared discovery. Arts, performing arts, and crafts - engagement with the arts is linked to positive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Participatory arts are especially powerful as tools for promoting well-being among older adults. The center offered 3,686 hours of arts programming this year, from classes in visual arts and crafts to performance opportunities in music and theater. In addition, the center hosted 244 hours of special events, such as concerts, art exhibition receptions, and author talks. These programs provide creative outlets, encourage self-expression, and promote joy, interaction, and mental stimulation. Partner organization programs -collaborating with other local nonprofits strengthens the center's ability to serve our community and aligns with broader public health goals. Through partnerships with groups such as piedmont master gardeners, osher lifelong learning institute, alzheimer's association, charlottesville climate collaborative, uva health, sentara healthcare, and many others, the center was able to offer 648 hours of partner programming this year. These collaborations expand access to specialized services, share limited resources, and reinforce a community- wide commitment to healthy aging. The center is also an active participant in the charlottesville area alliance, working to promote age-friendly policies and services across the region.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 95.8%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 76.3%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.98 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -26.2%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.45; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.29; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.9%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.6% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.5% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 95.8% of revenue deployed · 76.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $154K · 17 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 17/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 54/100.